Mapping the way for T levels
by Lindsay Conroy, Apprenticeship Lead at UCAS
Up and down the country, students are mid-way through their final year in secondary education, and thinking about what the future may hold. Like the past two years, qualifications will take centre stage in the discussions around their studies, with much of the focus being on revised examination arrangements for A levels and Highers in 2022.
However, we must not lose sight that 2022 is a big year for T-levels, with the first cohort due to graduate and progress into the next stage of their journey, whether this be employment, university, college or an apprenticeship. All these options are open to these students, and UCAS is here to support across all these pathways.
The introduction of T-levels alongside the implementation of the Post-16 review of qualifications, are the biggest reforms to qualifications in England since the decoupling of the AS and introduction of reformed A levels, leading to structurally different A levels across the UK. While these reforms were at the forefront of the minds of the secondary and higher education sector, the introduction of T-levels doesn’t seem to have the same spotlight – and it should.
The question we are often asked is will universities and colleges accept T-levels for entry to undergraduate courses? But is this the right question to ask. ?Instead, perhaps the question should be how do we support T level students in understanding the full range of options and pathways available to them. A particularly pertinent consideration during this National Apprenticeship Week.
A unique feature of the UK education system is the diversity of qualifications presented by students. Each year, UCAS processes applications from students holding over 750 different qualification types. Some of these qualifications will offer a broad range of progression routes, whereas others will be very specific in their nature.
Around 60% of the UK 18 year old students accepted to HE each year hold three A levels. Vocational qualifications play a key role in progression to the full range of post-secondary pathways. Over 40% of the undergraduate intake at some universities is made up of students holding at least one BTEC qualification, with over 30 universities accepting over 500 students holding these qualifications each cycle. With the Post-16 review proposing that this qualification offer is streamlined, as the take up of T-levels grows, it is unfathomable that universities and colleges would not be looking at how these new qualifications can be incorporated into their institution’s admissions processes, and how they can ensure that those students succeed in higher education and beyond. The same goes for employers and apprenticeship providers.
Not only do vocational and technical qualifications make a large contribution to the pool of students wishing to progress to higher education or training, they also make a significant contribution to social mobility. In 2020, of all English accepted applicants with at least one BTEC qualification, 17.1% were from POLAR4 quintile 1, compared to 10.1% of placed applicants holding one or more A level qualifications. When analysing this using the UCAS MEM, of all English 18 year old accepted applicants with at least one BTEC qualification, 12.0% were from MEM quintile 1, compared to 5.5% of placed applicants holding one or more A level qualifications. A large contributor to progress in widening access and participation over the last decade has been the increased progression of students holding these qualifications, and it is important that T-levels build upon this to support levelling up.
The introduction of T-levels provides universities and colleges with the opportunity to review their policies in relation to vocational and technical qualifications. While we know traditionally that these qualifications are uncommon at the most selective institutions, T-levels offer an opportunity to think again, innovate and develop new progression pathways – such as Higher Technical Qualifications.
T-levels won’t offer progression to every route, just as A levels alone don’t. The important thing here is that students know this when selecting their Level 3 options. Recent research as part of our ‘Where next?’ series suggests that one in five unintentionally closed a door to a desired pathway due to their qualification choice, and more than one in four would have made different GCSE/National 5 choices had they known what their degree course involves – and around a third would choose different post-16 options.
UCAS has a key role to play here – we support students in exploring all their post-secondary options, with our apprenticeships search tool, CareerFinder, being used 2 million times in the last year. We give tailored information and advice to students based on their background and educational context, guiding them through their journey, and T-level students are no different. Our aim is to ensure that these students are just as informed and supported as their A level counterparts, and able to understand and access the full range of opportunities available to them, as we seek to build true parity.
The rollout of T-levels will not be without its challenges. But with this comes a great opportunity to ‘level up’ technical and vocational education. The more the education sector does now to champion T-levels, the more likely they are to be a success for students.?